Driving arrangement for the spindles of centrifugal spinning, twisting, and analogous machines



Oct. 24, 1950 E E FEATHER 2,527,248

DRIVING ARRANGEMENT F012 THE SPINDLES 0F CENTRIFUGAL SPINNING, TWISTING, AND ANALOGOUS MACHINES Filed March 3, 1949 I 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor Edmund/Z?- j eaiizer A ttorney Oct. 24, 1950 FEATHER 2,527,248

DRIVING ARRANGEMENT FOR THE SPINDLES OF CENTRIFUGAL SPINNING, TWISTING, AND ANALOGOUS MACHINES Filed March 5, 1949 k 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 F/GZ.

Inventor v Aliorneys.

Oct. 24, 1950 E E. FEATHER 2,527,248

DRIVING ARRANGEMENT FOR THE SPINDLES 0F CENTRIFUGAL SPINNING, TWISTING, AND ANALOGOUS MACHINES Filed March 5, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I nvenior fix;

M Attorneys.

Patented Oct. 24, 1950 TENT OFFICE DRIVING -RRANGEMENT FOR THE SPIN- DLES OF CENTRIFUGAL SPINNING, TWIST- ING, AND "ANALOGOUS MACHINES Edmund E. Feather; Riddlesden;

to Prince-Smith & Stells Limited,

land, assignm- Keighley, Eng- Pnirlington Shed, Keighley, England, a British company Application March 3', 1949, Serial N0. 79;438 In Great Britain March 18, 1948 12-Claims; 1

This invention relates to a centrifugal spinning, twisting and analogous machine having a I bobbin carriage provided with means whereby it a is elevated automatically 'for :the purpose of I doffing-the'spinning. containers collectively- 011 completion of the spinning or .other-op'eration in question, and also having-a driving arrangement wherein the spinning containers are tape driven by means of 'a central rotary cylinder, or a driv ing shaft upon which are; mounted balanceddriving pulleys, .in association. with counterweighted tensionrpulleysand guide pulleys. A a machine havingthe above features is disclosed r in the Wright Patent No. 2,450,622 dated October 5, 1948. The present invention has for its object to obviate theedetrimental.results liable to ensue in the event of thebreaking of any. of the tapes driving the spinning containers.

It is well knownthatiin the event ofa container of a centrifugal. spinning or like. machine .20 of the above kind coming to rest prior to the transfer of the spun material .to a bobbin,"the' annulus of material tends to collapse within the container owing to the absence of the necessary centrifugal force to maintain it in position, and form -a, tangled mass within the container; and unless this'is observed and the mass removed as soon'as possibleaft'erthe alrected con-" tainer comes to rest normal unwinding or dcffing of the material in the-remaining containers will '3 be preventedby the inability of a bobbin to en'-. ter an affected container and, consequentially} the material in all the unaffected containers will be irrecoverable and wasted. V

The present invention is designed to guardi' against the occurrence of such a contingency.

According to the invention, a centrifugal spinning, twisting or analogous machine; wherein the front carriage is elevatable automatically for w doffing purposes and having the aforesaid driv- 4O ing arrangement for the spinning containers is provided with mechanism Whereby'brea'kage oi a driving tape, or equivalent element for T013813. ing the spinning containers, causes unwinding of the material spun in all the containers to be initiated automatically, the momentum of the rotating containers completing the unwinding" operation. A

To this end electro-magnetically controlled means are associated actuatably withthe tone: sioning elements of thetape-driving-mechanism and with theiront carriage'release mechanism.--

The current necessaryto energise the electro--, magnetic element or elementsmayrbe derived from the power supply in;-thecase-of aneelec trically-driven machine, or from a suitableextraneous source in the case of a mechanically driven machine, and the invention is applicable I either to a single-sided or double-sided machine.

The invention as applied to the machine of the aforesaid patent No. 2,450,622 is illustrated by Way of example in the accompanying draw-" ings in which:

Figures 1, 2 and 3 are semi-diagrammatic sectional views of the driving mechanism ore pair of mutually opposite spinning containers of a double-sided electrically driven centrifugal spin ning 'machine, the driving tape being omitted in Figures 2 and 3, and the respective figures b'eing illustrative of the relative positions occupied by the parts of the =mechanism, respectively-,

, under normal spinning conditions, after the" breakage of the driving tape, and whenthe affected containers are rendered inoperative in order to permit spinning to be re-commenced' without the necessity for immediately replacing the broken tape. 7

Referring firstly to Figure 1 of the drawings, l, l are two vertical members and 2 is an integral transverse member of one of the intermediate frame members which together with twoend-stands '(not shown) support fixedly two longitudinal rails3, 3, located on opposite sides of the machine and having secured thereto 'a seriesof projecting horizontal brackets "4, 4, in each of which is mounted a bearing housingi above which is arranged a whorl 6 rotatably con-- nected to the neck of an inverted cup-shaped spinning container 1, all of whichparts are known persea The front carriage of the machine comprises J the usual vertically reciprocable frame having at the top an angularly movable rockshaft 8 supported by vertical rack pillars such as 9 each ,slidable' in a guide bracket such as Iii integral-l with a casting it having a flanged base l2 rest ing on the bottom-rail l3.

To the rockshaft 8 is secured a series of bob bin pegs such as it each supporting a bobbin 15 in axial alignment with one of the aforesaid spinning-containersi, and parallel with and-be lowthe rockshaft 8 a pinion shaft 16 is supported in bearings on the mainframe of the-' machine (not shownland has keyed to it pin-" ions" such'as ll corresponding in number -t'o and meshing with the rack pillars 9, and'anop erating handwheel I8 is keyed to one end of the pinion shaft la' Each rack pillar guide bracket I0 is formed integrally at its upper' end with a :rearwardly projecting tubular boss E9 in which is slidably mounted a spring-urged plungerlatch 26 whereof the forward extremity normally enters a recess 2| in the back of the rack pillar 9 and whereof the rearward extremity is formed with an eye 22 to which is connected one end of a cord 23 which is passed below a fixed cylindrical abutment 23 and is carried upwardly to and over a second fixed cylindrical abutment 25 from which the cord 23 extends to and is secured to latch-withdrawing means to be referred to hereafter.

Each pair of mutually opposite whorls 6 is encircled by a common endless driving tape 25 which passes over a guide pulley 21, under a driving cylinder 28 (or a driving pulley) carried by a driving shaft 29, and over a tape-tensioning pulley running freely on an arbor 3| journalled in the upper end of one limb of a cranked tension lever 32 whereof the lower end is movable angularly about an arbor 33 and is formed with an integral tail member 34 carrying a counterweight 55. The tension lever 32 has pivoted to it, at 35 a biased detent 31 whereof the nose 38 is engageable with a toothed sector 39 integral with an extension 40 of which theboss 4| is mounted stationarily on the arbor 33, the extension to having a pin 42 projecting laterally from its free end and engageable by either one of two notches 43, 44, formed in a link 45 pivoted at 45 to a short arm 47 integral with the tension lever 32.

A longitudinal rockshaft 48 extends the full length of the machine and is supported in bearings carried by brackets 49 secured to the transverse frame members 2, and, at each pitch, this rockshaft 48 has keyed to it a downwardly extending actuator arm 55 having a lug at its free extremity projecting into alignment with the path of angular movement of the tension lever 32.

At one end of the rockshaft 48, or at any desired intermediate point in its length, a trip finger 52 is keyed adjacent to a casing 53 containing a limit switch comprising a pair of contacts 54, 55, adapted to be bridged by a blade 56 and a pair of contacts 57, 58, adapted to be bridged by a blade 59. is a spring-controlled switch-actuating plunger carrying a roller 6| adapted to be contacted by a laterally projecting lug 52 integral with the free extremity of a trip finger 52, the switch casing 53 being mounted on a fixed bracket 63 and the pairs of contacts 54, 55, 57, 58, being connected by conductors 64, 64A, in circuit, respectively with a pair of solenoids 65, 55, appropriate to the respective bobbin front carriages.

Each solenoid includes a core 65 terminating in a plunger or tappet 5? the weighted lower extremity 68 of which is located, above the flattened rear extremity 69 of a tappet arm 10 fulcrumed on a shaft i! alongside a lever 52 also fulcrumed on said shaft and having a horizontal slot 13 in which a stud '54 is mounted adjustably, the aforesaid cord 23 being secured to the upper end of the lever 12.

Normally, the circuit controlled by the limit switch in the casing 53 is closed and the trip finger 52 is maintained out of contact with the roller 62 by means of an arm 52A keyed to the rockshaft 48 and having its free end anchored by a spring 52B to the transverse frame member 2.

I5 is a constantly rotating member or disc carrying a projecting peg 16 into the path of movement of which the forward extremity 10A of the tappet arm is adapted to be moved as hereinafter explained, and rotatable with the disc F5 is a worm wheel 11 engaged drivably by a worm I8 keyed on the lower end of a vertical worm shaft 19 on the upper end of which is keyed another worm meshing with a worm wheel 8| rotatable with a spur wheel 82 forming part of a train of gearing 83, 84, 85, 86, 81 and 88, receiving motion from the driving shaft 29.

Under spinning conditions the various parts are in the positions shown in Figure 1, and immediately a tape 26 breaks the resistance offered by it to the tensioning pulley 30 ceases and, under the influence of the counterweight 35 the tension lever 32 is moved angularly in a clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 2 of the drawings and its upper end is brought into contact with the lug 5| on the actuator arm 50 which is moved angularly in a counterclockwise direction and turns the rockshaft 48 so as to raise the trip finger 52 and bring the lug 63 thereon into contact with the roller 62 on the switch plunger 6|, as shown in Figure 2, pressing the plunger inwardly of the switch and opening the circuit controlled thereby by moving the blades 56 and 59 from the appropriate contacts.

The result of this is to de-energize the solenoids 65, 55, the weighted plungers 61 of which fall by gravity on to the fiat ends 69 of the tappet arms 10, the forward ends 70A of which, owing to the continued rotation of the discs 15, are wiped by pegs 16 into contact with the studs 14 carried by the levers 12 which latter levers are thereby moved angularly towards the center line of the machine each thus exerting a pull upon the attached cord 23 and withdrawing the corresponding plunger-latch 20 from its recess 2| in the rack pillar 9, releasing the front carriages which are immediately automatically elevated and insert the bobbins I5 into the spinning containers The unwinding of the contents of all the unaffected spinning containers 1 is then completed by the momentum of the spinning containers l.

' The aforesaid angular movement of the tension lever 32 raises the link 45 until the pin 42 on the extension 40 is engaged by the recess 44 which together with the detent 31, 38, serves to maintain the parts in the position shown in Figure 2 while the broken tape is being replaced.

After the replacement of the broken tape the rockshaft 48 is returned by' spring 52B to the running position shown in Figure 1, permitting the closure of the limit switch and the re-energization of the solenoids.

If, however, it is not desired or not convenient to replace the broken tape immediately, the nose 38 of the detent 31 is disengaged from the sector 39 and the tension lever 32 is moved counterclockwise as viewed in Figure 3 until the pin 42 on the extension40 is engaged by the recess 43 in the link 45, by which means the tensioning pulley 3|) is supported clear of the actuator arm 50 and the affected containers i remain inactive while the spinning operation continues in the remaining containers of the machine.

The link 45 serves also to prevent the tension pulley 30 falling into contact with theguide pulley 21.

What I claim isi 1. In a centrifugal spinning, twisting and analogous machine having tape-driven spinning containers and an automatically elevatable bobbin carriageprovidedwith releasable retaining means, a driving arrangement for a spinning container comprising, anendless drlving' tape serving to rotate saidcontainer, a; tensioning pulley supported by said driving'tape, and mechcontainer comprising, an endless driving tapeserving to rotatesaid container-ya tensioning pulley supported by said drivingtape, andmech anism associated with said tensioning pulley and with electro magnetie controlling means connected operatively to said releasable retaining means in'suchmanner as to effect the release of said bobbin carriage in theevent of the breakage of said driving tape.

3. In a centrifugal spinning, twisting and analogous machinehaving'tape driven spinning containers and an automatically elevatablebobbin carriage providedwith-releasable retaining means, a driving arrangement for a spinning container comprising, an endless driving tape serving to rotate said container, a driven memher to drive said driving tape, a tensioning pulley supported by said driving tape, and a switch actuator coaligned with said tensioning pulley, said switch actuator being associated with electro-magnetic means connected operatively to said releasable retaining means in such manner as to effect the release of said bobbin carriage in the event of the breakage of said driving tape.

4. In a centrifugal spinning, twisting and analogous machine having tape-driven spinning containers and an automatically elevatable bobbin carriage provided with releasable retaining means, a driving arrangement for a spinning container comprising, an endless driving tape to rotate said container, a driven member to drive said driving tape, a tensioning pulley supported by said driving tape, said tensioning pulley being carried by a tension lever, a switch actuator coaligned with said tension lever, a trip member connected to said switch actuator and said trip member being associated with electromagnetic means connected operatively to said releasable retaining means in such manner as to eifect the release of said bobbin carriage in the event of the breakage of said driving tape.

5. A driving arrangement for spinning container of a centrifugal spinning, twisting and analogous machine as claimed in claim 3, characterised by means to offer positive support to said tensioning pulley in the event of the breakage of said endless driving tape.

6. A driving arrangement for a spinning conaligned 'with-saidtension lever and connected operatively to an angularly movable trip finger, a switch controlling an electro-magnetic circuit and located adjacent to-said trip" finger, a

carriage inthe'event of the breakage of-a driving tape.

8-. Ida centrifugalspinning, twisting and analogous machine having tape-driven spinning contain'ers a'ndan automatically elevatable bobbin carriage. provided with releasable retaining means, a driving arrangement for a spinning container comprising, a tape-tensioning pulley mounted on an angularly movable counterweighted tensionlever an angularly movable switch actiiator' a'rm co-aligned with said tension lever and co'n'nect'e'd operatively to an angularly'mbvable trip finger, a switch controlling an electromagnetic circ'uit and having a member projecting adjacent to said trip finger, a solenoid arranged incircuit with'said switch and provided with a depending weighted core, and an angularly movable tappetarm located adjacent to and operable by said depending w-eighted'cor'e to effect the release of said bobbin carriage retaining means in the event of the breakage of a driving tape.

9. In a centrifugal spinning, twisting and analogous machine having tapedriven spinning containers and an automatically elevatable bobbin carriage provided with releasable retaining means, a driving arrangement for a spinning container comprising, a tape-tensioning pulley mounted on an angularly movable tension lever, an angularly movable switch actuator arm coaligned with said tension lever and connected operatively to an angularly movable trip finger, a switch controlling an electrmmagnetic circuit and located adjacent to the path of movement of said trip finger, a solenoid arranged in circuit with said switch and provided with a weighted core, a tappet arm located adjacent to and operable by said solenoid core in the event of the breakage of a driving tape, and means movable into contact with said tension lever for ofiering positive support thereto during the replacement of a broken tape.

10. In a centrifugal spinning, twisting and analogous machine having tape-driven spinning containers and an automatically elevatable bobbin carriage provided with releasable retaining means, a driving arrangement for a spinning container comprising, a tape-tensioning pulley mounted on an angularly movable countercounterweighted tension lever, an angularly switch actuator arm eo-aligned with said tension lever and connected operatively to an anglarly movable trip finger, a switch controlling an electro-magnetic circuit to a solenoid, a member projecting from said switch into the path of angular movement of said trip finger, an angularly movable tappet arm operable by said solenoid in the event of the breakage of a driving tape, and means for ofierin-g positive support to said tension lever during the replacement of a broken tape.

11. In a centrifugal spinning, twisting and analogous machine having tape-driven spinning containers and an automatically elevatable bobbin carriage provided with releasable retaining means, a driving arrangement for a spinning container comprising, a tape-tensioning pulley normally supported by a driving tape and mounted on an angularly movable tension lever, an angularly movable switch actuator arm locatedin the path of angular movement of said tension lever and connected operatively to an angularly movable trip finger, a switch controlling an electro-magnetic circuit to a solenoid and located adjacent to said trip finger, said solenoid having a weighted core, a tappet arm operable by said solenoid core in the event of the breakage of a driving tape, means for ofiering positive support in one position to said tension lever during the replacement of a broken tape, and further means for ofiering positive support in a second position to said tension lever to maintain said lever out of the path of angular movement of said actuator arm.

12. In a centrifugal spinning, twisting and analogous machine having tape-driven spinning containers and an automatically elevatable bobbin carriage provided with releasable retaining means, a driving arrangement for a spinning container comprising, a tape-tensioning pulley normally supported by a driving tape and mounted on an angularly movable counterweighted tension lever, an angularly movable switch actuator arm located in the path of angular movement of said tension lever and connected operatively to an angularly movable trip finger, a switch controlling an electro-magnetic circuit to a solenoid, a member projecting from said switch into the path of angular movement of said trip finger, an angularly movable tappet arm operable #The following references are of record in the containerafiected by said broken tape to remain immobile while the remaining spinning containers continue to operate.

EDMUND E. FEATHER.

' fn nRENoEs CITED file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS ,Number Name Date 1,222,405 Jackson Apr. 10, 1917 Wright, Oct. 5, 1948 

